OF
OF IDAHO'S MOST POPULAR SUMMER EVENTS.
AND LIKE SO MANY OTHER
BUSINESSES AND PUBLIC
GATHERINGS, FARMERS
MARKETS HAVE HAD TO
ADAPT TO PANDEMIC
HEALTH RESTRICTIONS.
BUT HERE'S SOME GOOD
NEWS - MANY OF THESE
MARKETS ARE STARTING
TO RE-OPEN FOR THE
SEASON.
SO TODAY ON 'YOU CAN
GROW IT', GARDEN
MASTER JIM DUTHIE TALKS
WITH THE DIRECTOR OF
ONE OF THE LOCAL
MARKETS THAT'S OPENING
THIS WEEKEND.
PACKAGE:
"EVERY WEEKEND FROM
SPRING TO FALL, IN MANY
COMMUNITIES ACROSS
SOUTHWEST IDAHO, YOU
CAN FIND FARMERS
MARKETS SET UP IN PARKS
AND PARKING LOTS. BUT
WITH THE ONSET OF THE
PANDEMIC LAST YEAR,
THESE SMALL BUSINESSES
HAD TO ADAPT AND
ADJUST TO SOME BIG
CHANGES IN HOW THEY
INTERACT WITH THE
PUBLIC. AND NOW, AS A
NEW SEASON BEGINS,
LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS
ARE ONCE MORE READY
TO WELCOME CUSTOMERS
SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY."
IDAHO FARMERS
MARKETS OFFER A WIDE
RANGE OF PRODUCTS,
INCLUDING BAKED GOODS
... ARTS AND CRAFTS ..
PLANTS AND FLOWERS ...
LOCALLY MADE FOOD
PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS LIKE JERKY, BEVERAGES, AND CONDIMENTS.. AND, OF
COURSE, FRESH LOCALLY
GROWN PRODUCE.
BUT COVID-19 FORCED
THEM TO DO THINGS A
LITTLE DIFFERENTLY LAST
YEAR, AND MOST OF
THOSE CHANGES ARE
STILL WITH US AS LOCAL
FARMERS MARKETS BEGIN
OPENING UP IN 2021.
FARMERS MARKETS IN
BOISE HAVE ALREADY
OPENED FOR BUSINESS,
AND NOW THE MERIDIAN
MAIN STREET MARKET IS
HAVING ITS OFFICIAL
GRAND OPENING THIS
WEEKEND.
DIRECTOR CHEREE
EVELAND SAYS THEY'RE
EXCITED TO WELCOME
CUSTOMERS AND
VENDORS BACK TO THE
MARKET.
"THIS YEAR THERE'S A LOT
MORE POSITIVE FEEDBACK
FROM THE COMMUNITY,
AND ESPECIALLY THE
VENDORS. THEY'RE
EXCITED TO BE BACK."
"IF ANYTHING 2020 AND
COVID DID, IT GAVE
PEOPLE A CHANCE TO
STAY HOME AND CREATE
SOMETHING NEW, SO
SOME OF THE VENDORS
THAT WE HAVE ARE ONES
THAT STARTED DOING
SOMETHING JUST LAST
YEAR. AND NOW THEY
WANT TO GET OUT THERE
AND SHOW OFF THEIR
PRODUCTS AND TALK TO
PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT
THEY'RE DOING."
EVEN THOUGH
ATTENDANCE FELL
SHARPLY LAST YEAR DUE
TO THE PANDEMIC,
REGULAR CUSTOMERS
CONTINUED TO COME
AND SUPPORT THE SMALL
BUSINESSES, AND SHE
EXPECTS NUMBERS TO
INCREASE AGAIN THIS
YEAR.
"AND THEN THE NON-
PROFITS, AND OF COURSE,
YOU KNOW, OUR YOUTH
VENDORS. THAT'S WHAT
MAKES US A LITTLE
DIFFERENT, IS WE HAVE
OUR YOUTH VENDORS.
AND WE'VE GOT EIGHT OF
THEM SO FAR THIS YEAR."
BESIDES FRESH PRODUCE
AND OTHER SPECIALTY
ITEMS, THERE'S LIVE
MUSIC BY LOCAL ARTISTS.
BUT WHAT BRINGS MOST
PEOPLE OUT TO IDAHO'S
FARMERS MARKETS?
"I THINK PEOPLE LIKE
THAT IF THEY COME ON A
REGULAR BASIS THAT THEY
GET TO KNOW THE
VENDORS. WE HAVE
PEOPLE THAT SPECIFICALLY
COME FOR A SPECIFIC
VENDOR. I THINK THEY
LIKE BEING ABLE TO GET
OUT AND SUPPORT THE
COMMUNITY."
"AND DOWNTOWN
MERIDIAN IS GROWING.
WE'VE
WE'VE GOT
WE'VE GOT SOME NEW BUILDINGS GOING UP, SOME NEW BUSINESSES
COMING IN, AND IT'S A
WAY FOR THE MERIDIAN
MARKET TO SUPPORT
THAT AND HAVE PEOPLE
COME DOWN TO THE
RESTAURANTS OR THE
STORES, AND THEY COME
OVER TO THE MARKET
AND VICE-VERSA, GO TO
THE MARKET AND THEN
STILL GET TO WANDER
AROUND DOWNTOWN
MERIDIAN AND SEE WHAT
THERE IS TO OFFER DOWN
THERE."
FOR ADDED SAFETY AND
CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE,
SOMETHING NEW HAS
BEEN ADDED THIS YEAR
AN ONLINE SHOPPING
APP CALLED TAP 4
MARKETS.
"TAP4MARKETS IS
SOMETHING FREE TO OUR
VENDORS, SO THERE'S NO
EXTRA CHARGE, BUT IT
ALLOWS OUR GUESTS AND
VENDOR CUSTOMERS TO
SUBMIT AN ORDER
ONLINE AHEAD OF TIME."
THE APP IS FREE AND
USER-FRIENDLY. SELECT
MERIDIAN MAIN STREET
MARKET, THEN SCROLL
THROUGH THE LIST OF
AVAILABLE VENDORS,
PLACE YOUR ORDER BY
THURSDAY AFTERNOON,
AND MAKE YOUR
PAYMENT. THEN YOU PICK
UP YOUR ORDER AT THE
MARKET ON SATURDAY.
"THE MERIDIAN MAIN
STREET MARKET OPENS
ON SATURDAY AT
MERIDIAN CITY HALL
PLAZA, AND RUNS FROM 9
AM TO 2 PM EVERY
SATURDAY THROUGH
MID-OCTOBER. AND
WHEREVER YOU LIVE,
OTHER FARMERS MARKETS
NEAR YOU WILL BE
OPENING UP FROM NOW
THROUGH
THROUGH THE SPRING. FOR IDAHO'S NEWS CHANNEL 7, I'M JIM
DUTHIE."
DUTHIE."
OTHER
OTHER LOCAL MARKETS THAT ARE NOW OPEN OR ARE OPENING SOON
INCLUDE CAPITAL CITY
PUBLIC MARKET, WHICH
OPENED LAST SATURDAY
IN GARDEN CITY,
AND THE BOISE FARMERS
MARKET DRIVE-THRU,
WHICH IS OPEN NOW FOR
ONLINE ORDERS AND
CURBSIDE PICK-UP.
THE NAMPA FARMERS
MARKET IS HAVING ITS
GRAND OPENING ON
APRIL 24TH AT LLOYD
SQUARE IN DOWNTOWN
NAMPA.
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF
FARMERS MARKETS NEAR
YOU, CHECK OUT THE
WEBSITE FOR THE IDAHO
FARMERS MARKET
ASSOCIATION.
WE HAVE A HOT LINK ON